2008 BMW Z4

The two-seat BMW Z4 lineup includes two body styles and three engines. The base convertible is powered by a 215-horsepower 3.0-liter in-line six-cylinder, while the 3.0si bumps the output up to 255 horsepower in both the coupe and convertible. The top performance version is the Z4 M coupe or convertible (*est. $50,400 to $52,100), with a 330-horsepower 3.2-liter in-line six-cylinder. Styling is rather polarizing, with many reviewers commenting that BMW's controversial 'flame surfacing" exterior design works well on the Z4, especially the coupe, but others feel it is too radical.

Acceleration and handling are praised by virtually all reviews, although the firm ride is too stiff for some. The Z4's active steering system can have an artificial feeling, some reviewers comment, but the Z4 M's hydraulic steering gets no complaints. The low ride height, low roof and long doors make entry and exit awkward, critics say. Most reviewers say the Z4 is one of the best sports cars for the money, even though it's still not as good as the more-expensive Porsche Boxster (*est. $45,800 to $59,900).

The best review is by Edmunds.com, which describes the strong and weak points of both the BMW Z4 and the higher-performance Z4 M. We also found comprehensive, well-organized road-test reviews at Kelley Blue Book, TheCarConnection.com, Cars.com and Consumer Reports magazine. While the BMW Z4 scores four out of five stars for frontal-crash tests conducted by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, it only manages three stars in a side-impact crash test. Results are shown on SaferCar.gov.